Railway station

Railway lines

Reggio Emilia - Guastalla
Parma - Suzzara

Reggio Emilia - Guastalla
Reggio San Lazzaro - Reggio Emilia - Reggio Santa Croce - Reggio Stadio Giglio - Reggio AV Mediopadana - Pratofontana - Bagnolo in Piano - Bagnolo Soave - Pieverossa - San Tomaso - Vezzola - San Giovanni - Novellara - San Bernardino - San Giacomo - Guastalla

Parma - Suzzara
Parma - Chiozzola - Sorbolo - Lentigione - Brescello - Boretto - Pieve Saliceto - Gualtieri - Guastalla - Tagliata - Luzzara - Codisotto - Suzzara

Information

800 198 637 - Information about trains
840 00 216 - Information about urban and suburban buses: call center Seta www.setaweb.it

The service is active Monday-Saturday from 07:00 a.m. to 07:00 p.m.; Sunday from 08:20 a.m. to 05:00 p.m.

Timetable of extra-urban routes

Transport service

Phone

840 000 216 - Contact Center Seta (Monday-Saturday from 07:00 a.m. to 07:00 p.m.; Sunday from 09:00 a.m. to 05:00 p.m., closed on weekday holidays)
840 151 152 - Railway Call Center

Tickets can also be purchased in the tobacconist shops (tabaccheria).

Here are the maps of the 32 Municipalities of the local editorial staff of Reggio Emilia:

Altitude: 25 m
Inhabitants: 14.635 (updated to December 31, 2022)
Post code: 42016
Weekly market day: Wednesday and Saturday
Patron Saint: Santa Caterina (November 25)
Hamlets: San Giacomo, San Girolamo, San Martino, San Rocco, Tagliata

CONTACTS

0039 0522 839763 - Tourist Information Office
0039 0522 839711 - Municipality
Municipality of Guastalla
Guastalla History and Culture

How to get there

Guastalla

By car
A22 Motorway exit (16 km); A1 Motorway exit (25 km); road connection: SS62 (Main Road) Verona-Mantova-Parma; SS63 (Main Road) junction to Reggio Emilia, SP (Provincial Road) with Novellara, SP (Provincial Road) with Reggiolo.

By train
From the Railway Station of Reggio Emilia: TPER Reggio-Guastalla route.

By bus
From Reggio Emilia, Piazzale Europa: bus No. 87.

Location

Guastalla, important Renaissance court and major coastal centre of the Po river and of the Lowlands of the Reggio Emilia province, is located 30 km north of the administrative centre, on the border of the province of Mantua.

Reasons to visit

Guastalla maintains the discrete charm of an ancient capital in its streets, buildings, churches and monuments. The 16th-century town plan is still largely visible. The ancient via Gonzaga is a chessboard road system that leads to the square, the heart of the town, dominated by the beautiful statue of Ferrante Gonzaga, the work by Leone Leoni.

Here are the 16th-century Cathedral, with a façade dating back to the late 19th century, the Ducal Palace (1567) that hosts the town Museum and the Town Hall. 
The Maldotti Library, a valuable example of a scholar’s library dating back to the 18th century, with incunabula and medieval manuscripts, is located in Corso Garibaldi.
Worth seeing is the Santissima Annunciata Church (or dei Servi), the Beata Vergine della Porta Sanctuary and the San Francesco Church.
A short distance away is the Oratory of San Giorgio, dating back to the 10th century which, thanks to its small size, gives the visitor an incomparable mystic atmosphere.

Not to be missed

A walk along Viale Po that leads to the woods on the banks of the river. The Po Lido is the site of events and performances and is very crowded and lively.

Entertainment

The recently restored Ruggero Ruggeri Municipal Theatre is the centre of the town’s cultural life.

Keeping fit

Viale Po and the banks of the river are ideal for bicycle rides and walks.

In the vicinity

At Pieve di Guastalla is the oldest religious building in the area: the Basilica della Pieve, dating back to the 10th century, now dedicated to the Apostles Peter and Paul.

Events

Georgica - April
Festival of land, water and work in the fields. Market show of local varieties of fruits, flowers, vegetables, show of rural courtyard animals and market show of local “forgotten” organic food and wine products.

Lost Plants and Animals - Fourth weekend of September
Market show of ancient varieties of fruits, flowers, vegetables, seeds and breeds of rural animals. Market show of local and forgotten organic food and wine products. Market show of craft products, entertainment, ancient games, meetings, workshops.

Santa Caterina Festival - Fourth weekend of November
Stalls, fun fair, market show, performances, entertainment, shows, exhibition of agricultural machinery.

Information

It is possible to ask for temporary permits for the ZTL (Limited Traffic Area).

Historical notes

The first record Guastalla dates back to 864, when St. Peter's Chapel of Guastalla was given by the emperor Ludwig to his wife Angelberga, who in turn gave the chapel to the Piacenza-based San Sisto Monastery.
The abbess gave this chapel along with the San Giorgio Chapel to Boniface of Canossa. Guastalla experienced its time of greatest importance under the Canossa family.
The town hosted a convention of nobles and ecclesiastic authorities in preparation for the Council of Piacenza in 1096, and a council presided over by Pope Paschal II in 1106.
Guastalla underwent various vicissitudes under rule by Cremona, Parma, and the Benedictine Monastery in Polirone, before it became the property of the Visconti family, who gave it in feud to Guido Torello in 1406.
It was given to Don Ferrante Gonzaga in 155  and remained under the rule of the Gonzaga family, who became dukes in 1621, until 1746.
Guastalla was then annexed to the Duchy of Parma, but was again made into a duchy for Paolina Bonaparte during the Napoleonic Era. After 1814, Guastalla was again annexed to Parma, under the rule of Duchess Maria Luisa.
The town prospered due to its position along the banks of the Po River, but it also underwent the disastrous Wars of Succession.
The Savoyard grenadiers had their baptism of fire in Guastalla in 1705.

Useful links

• Museums in Guastalla
• Churches in Guastalla
• Where to stay in Guastalla
• Where to eat in Guastalla
• All files of Guastalla

Via S. Giuseppe, 16/A - 42016 Guastalla
+39 338 8969989; 0039 0522 824064
museobariaschi@yahoo.it
Piccolo Museo della Moto

Opening times

Every Saturday from 9.00 to 12.00.

(after calling +39 338 8969989 at least one day before to arrange the date and time of the visit).

Entrance fees

Free entrance

How to get there

Guastalla

By car
Motorway exit A22 (16 km); A1 motorway exit (25 km); road connection: SS62 Verona / Mantova-Parma; SS63 junction for Reggio Emilia, SP with Novellara, SP with Reggiolo.

By train
From the central railway station of Reggio Emilia TPER Reggio-Guastalla line

By bus
From Piazzale Europa-Reggio Emilia bus No. 87

Historical notes

Visitors will be accompanied by a guide giving technical explanations.
It will also possible to attend a hall with screenings of motorbike races dating back to the Fifties, Sixties and Seventies.

Istituto Comprensivo “F. Gonzaga”
Via Affò 2, Guastalla
0039 0522 839081
0039 0522 824607
icomguastalla@libero.it
Istituto Comprensivo "F.Gonzaga"

Opening times

Open during the school season, from Monday to Saturday upon previous arrangement only

Entrance fees

Free entrance

How to get there

Guastalla

By car
Motorway exit A22 (16 km); A1 motorway exit (25 km); road connection: SS62 Verona / Mantova-Parma; SS63 junction for Reggio Emilia, SP with Novellara, SP with Reggiolo.

By train
From the central railway station of Reggio Emilia TPER Reggio-Guastalla line

By bus
From Piazzale Europa-Reggio Emilia bus No. 87

Historical notes

The Museum-workshop was born in 2003 inside the Primary school of the Institute "F. Gonzaga" to let people discover the history of the school in Guastalla. The Museum has two rooms where two classrooms are reproduced, one of the first half of the XX Century and the other one of the period after the IIWW. In these rooms are preserved original fornitures and educational objects, togheter with documents and papers dated between 1843 and 1970.

Via Piave, 1 - 42016 Guastalla
0039 0522 824401

Opening times

All days: 7.30 a.m.-7.00 p.m.; Masses: Saturday at 6.30 p.m. and Sunday at 8.30 a.m.; Rosary: working days at 5.30 p.m. In order to visit the Sanctuary and get information on the history of the building and the welcome of pilgrims, please call at the phone number 0039.349.2143804.

How to get there

By car
Motorway exit A22 (16 km); A1 motorway exit (25 km); road connection: SS62 Verona-Mantova-Parma; SS63 crossroads to Reggio Emilia, SP to Novellara, SP to Reggiolo.

By train
From the Reggio Emilia railway station: TPER Reggio-Guastalla route.

By bus
From Reggio Emilia, Piazzale Europa: bus n° 87.

Historical notes

It houses in the ciborium the miraculous image of the Virgin, a work by Damiano Padovani (1646) once situated at the southern gate of the town, attesting to a miracle whose memory is still alive among the local populace.
The majestic altar is composed of twisted columns with a triumph of angels by Antonio Ferraboschi. The large collection of votive offerings displayed in the museum adjacent to the church testifies to the miracles performed. The Beata Vergine della Porta Sanctuary, a rare example of Emilian Baroque style, takes its name from the presence of the ancient gate of St. Francis in this place.
Reggio Emilia architect Prospero Mattioli began designing the church in 1693 on commission by Duke Vincenzo Gonzaga. In that year, the image of the Madonna painted in 1646 by Damiano Padovani, began to manifest wonders and miracles which led the Duke to mark the start of his reign with a work worthy of the architectural tradition of the city.
The works continued until 1703, and only after six years was the Sanctuary was consecrated, with completion extending for almost the entire 18th century.
The main altar with ciborium dates to 1702 and is the work of Antonio Ferraboschi and Michele Costa.
In 1703, the Parma artist Pietro Oliva created the marble balustrade.
The altar of San Francesco Da Paola, erected in 1741 (right arm of the transept) is the work of Pietro Franzini.
The statues of the twelve prophets by Giovanni Marini da Viadana date to 1786.
Of particular interest inside are the seventeenth-century altar-frontals in polychromatic scagliola, the eighteenth-century Pietà in painted papier-mâché, and the fresco of the Blessed Virgin by Damiano Padovani of 1646 situated in the ciborium of the main altar.

Piazza Giuseppe Mazzini - 42016 Guastalla
Phone 0039 0522 839763 - Tourist information office
uit@comune.guastalla.re.it

How to get there

See the indication to reach Guastalla

Historical notes

It was consecrated in 1575 by Cardinal Borromeo, Archbishop of Milan and brother-in-law of the ruler of Guastalla. The statues of Saints Peter and Paul located in the Cathedral were donated by Cardinal Borromeo before his return to Milan.
The church has undergone numerous restoration works over the centuries. The façade has changed from the simple lines of earlier times, to the present more elaborate and original design. In 1671, the architect Antonio Vasconi designed the side chapel of the Holy Sacrament which contains frescoes by Giovan Battista Bolognini. The main façade underwent major alterations in 1813, with further important changes being made between 1841 and 1845 by the architect Giuseppe Pollini Rizzardi. During that period, the large windows were placed on the main façade, the round windows were set into the dome, and the 17th-century altars were replaced. The original brick and Verona marble floor inside the church was replaced with black and white polychrome marble in 1889.
The church contains numerous sacred works of historical and artistic value such as the cedar-wood statue of the Madonna of the Castle, originally housed in the 15th-century castle, the Madonna and Infant Jesus from the school of Emilia (oil on canvas, circa 1620), St. Joseph with the Infant Jesus by Gerolamo Degiovanni (late 17th-century polychrome wood), St. Francis receiving the stigmata from the Cremona school (late 16th-century oil on canvas), Our Lady of the Rosary (17th-century polychrome wood), and the Baptism of Christ by Gualdi.

Useful link

Restoration of the Cathedral
Holy mess times

Via Pieve, 39 - 42016 Guastalla
Phone 0039 0522 824438

How to get there

See the indication to reach Guastalla

Historical notes

They also contain a hint about San Pietro chapel in Guastalla, its revenues and inhabitants. In the tenth century - during a period of great development of Romanesque style - this chapel was enlarged by Venice citizen Domenico Carimano, who had asked it to Ermenegarda (Angilberga’s daughter).
In 996 it was sanctified by Pope Gregorio V and in 1095 Pope Urbano II held there a preparatory synod for Piacenza and Clermonts Councils, well known for the 1st crusade.
In 1106 Pope Pasquale II gathered an assembly where it was established that civil and clerical investitures should be separated.
In the twelfth century an earthquake, which stroke almost the whole region, caused a collapse of part of the church, that was then restored following the same Romanesque style. In 1558 the Estense family, who unsuccessfully tried to occupy Guastalla, destroyed the village and the church tower, then a fire razed also the entire archives. Only in 1605 the church was renovated in Baroque style by parson don Giacomo Antonelli, according to a plan by Antonio Filippi, with eight side altars. Of this period are still to be seen: the frescoes, probably carried out by a local painter; a terracotta statue of Virgin Mary with the Child, by Guido Mazzoni i.e.”il Modanino”; the wooden crucifix in German style; a part of choir; some canvases by unknown artists, all painted on or around the sixteenth/seventeenth century.
In 1850 the façade underwent a first reconstruction in Romanesque style, while in 1931, due to the roof downfall, the entire church was repaired. Some vestiges of pre-existing Romanesque style and the trussed ceiling were then rediscovered, and it was then possible to re-build some destroyed parts, such as two side apses. The organ, dating back to 1870, is one of last Serassi with some older pipes belonging to the sixteenth-century organ.
It is very interesting that during works of 1931, some archaeological Roman findings came out, like handlebar bricks and tiles, which can still be seen on perimeter inside- and outside walls. The Romanesque tower was on the left of the church, and the present one - dating back to the baroque period - was then renovated several times, especially on its cusp.

Useful link

Holy mess times

Via Rosario - Guastalla
0039 0522 824201
nido.iride@asbr.it

Opening times

The visits, lasting about 1.30 hours, will be possible only by reservation and can be scheduled on Friday afternoon from 4.30pm and Saturday morning.To book, send the request form at least 10 days before the visit.

Prices

Download the application form

How to get there

Guastalla

By car
Motorway exit A22 (16 km); A1 motorway exit (25 km); road connection: SS62 Verona / Mantova-Parma; SS63 junction for Reggio Emilia, SP with Novellara, SP with Reggiolo.

By train
From the central railway station of Reggio Emilia TPER Reggio-Guastalla line

By bus
From Piazzale Europa-Reggio Emilia bus No. 87

Description

Designed by Mario Cucinella and inaugurated in 2015 to replace the building damaged in the 2012 earthquake, the new Nido Iride has been defined by some as "the most beautiful kindergarten in the world".

It is a highly eco-sustainable, safe, comfortable and technological facility, built with the best materials.
The vertical wooden elements of the supporting structure recall the rows of trees of our countryside, thus having a continuous dialogue with the surrounding landscape.
Thanks to the sinuosity of the spaces and the warmth of the materials, the interior space recalls the womb.

MCA - Mario Cucinella Architects

Via Verdi, 7 - 42016 Guastalla
Phone 0039 0522 839757 - Municipality of Guastalla
ufficiocultura@comune.guastalla.re.it
f.tagliavini@comune.guastalla.re.it
Teatro comunale Ruggero Ruggeri

Opening times

Open according to the performances

How to get there

Guastalla

By car
Motorway exit A22 (16 km); A1 motorway exit (25 km); road connection: SS62 Verona / Mantova-Parma; SS63 junction for Reggio Emilia, SP with Novellara, SP with Reggiolo.

By train
From the central railway station of Reggio Emilia TPER Reggio-Guastalla line

By bus
From Piazzale Europa-Reggio Emilia Bus n.87

Historical notes

In the meantime, a different site for the theatre was chosen. Antonio Vasconi designed the building in occasion of the wedding of Ferdinando Carlo to Anna Isabella, daughter of the Duke of Guastalla. By the end of the 18th century the building was already in danger of collapse. Restoration begun only in 1813 and was entrusted to the architect Paglia. The building was inaugurated in 1814 in occasion of the Fair of Santa Caterina.
Today, Ruggeri Theatre has 400 seats and houses mainly prose performances.

Via Gonzaga 16 - 42016 Guastalla (RE)
Phone 0039 0522 839763 - Tourist Information Office
uit@comune.guastalla.re.it
Guastalla Cultura e Turismo

Opening times

The ground floor is open from 8.00 a.m. to 6.30 p.m.
Saturday-Sunday 9.30 a.m. - 12.30 p.m. and 3.30 - 6.30 p.m.; other days upon reservation.

Entrance fees

Free entrance. On the occasion of temporary exhibitions, the entrance to the main floor of the palace can require the payment of a ticket.

How to get there

By car
Motorway exit A22 (16 km); A1 motorway exit (25 km); road connection: Main Road 62 Verona-Mantova-Parma; Main Road 63 junction for Reggio Emilia, Province Road with Novellara, Province Road with Reggiolo.

By train
From the central railway station of Reggio Emilia TPER Reggio-Guastalla route.

By bus
From Reggio Emilia, piazzale Europa: Bus no .87.

Historical notes

The Palace has a long and intricated history of domain. It was the "new" residence of the Torello counts and then the headquarter of the Gonzaga's court. The building of the palace is bound to the name of Francesco Capriani, Il Volterra, who designed the quadrangular shape of the court with arcades all around. Tommaso Filippi ends the building works in 1570 with the addition of the italian garden, the Gallery of marbles and the decoration by Bernardino Campi. This palace welcomed poets and artists as Tasso, Guarini, Guercino and Campi.
Going back to the original aspect of the palace is not easy because of the consolidation works that took place in the XIX century. It became then the private residence of the Mossina family in 1908.
It has been recently purchased by the Municipality and today, after major structural consolidation works and post-earthquake restoration works, it houses a Museum (still to be defined) and spaces for temporary exhibitions on the first floor and, on the ground floor, the Atelier of the Ducal Palace, the Tourist Office, Public Relations Office and private services.

Corso Garibaldi 54 - 42016 Guastalla
0039 0522 826294
maldottib@libero.it

Opening times

From Monday to Friday
2.00 - 6.00 p.m.

Prices

Free entrance

How to get there

Guastalla

By car
Motorway exit A22 (16 km); A1 motorway exit (25 km); road connection: SS62 Verona / Mantova-Parma; SS63 junction for Reggio Emilia, SP with Novellara, SP with Reggiolo.

By train
From the central railway station of Reggio Emilia TPER Reggio-Guastalla line

By bus
From Piazzale Europa-Reggio Emilia bus No. 87

Historic notes

The Library was built August 14, 1801, following the idea of Guastalla-born priest Marcoantonio Maldotti; after his death, he left to his fellow citizens a book heritage of nearly 5,000 books of various disciplines. In 1857 the Library moved to the new location, the current building in Corso Garibaldi, in the place where in 1741 was built San Luigi Church of the Jesuit Fathers. This primitive fund then reached the present number of 100,000 books. There is also a wide collection of paintings, prints, coins, medals, herbariums, photos, posters and other important archives.

Piazza Mazzini - 42016 Guastalla

Historical information

Ferrante I Gonzaga. This exquisitely crafted statue was made by Leone Leoni, an artist at the court of the Spanish Emperor Charles V. Ferrante I, the first member of the illustrious House of Gonzaga to rule the city, is depicted in the act of trampling on a satyr, the symbol of vice, and a decapitated hydra, representing envy and slander. The scene is an allegorical representation symbolizing Ferrante’s loyalty to the Emperor against those who levelled specious accusations against him during his governorship in Milan. Ferrante went personally to the court of Charles V and silenced those who had tried to throw him into disrepute. In order to commemorate the episode, his son Cesare commissioned the Statue which was erected in the spot where it stands today in 1594.

Vivi la Golena - escursioni nelle oasi naturalistiche